Liza Tarbuck

I don’t watch an awful lot of television, the only things I tend to watch regularly are Come Dine With Me, Lewis, Masterchef, The Apprentice, Trollied and Mount Pleasant. So it’s particularly infuriating that both Trollied and Mount Pleasant seem to have been ruined.

I don’t know if it’s different writers or just bored writers but it’s ruined both of them for me.

Trolliedwas excellent. With the simpering Julie (played by Jane Horrocks) who has obvious and unrequited love for Gavin (played by Jason Watkins) giving a sweet yet cringe worthy love aspect and the ever funny duo of Andy (Mark Addy) and Kieran (Nick Blood) on the butchery counter, it worked really well. The rest of the cast and crew added to the whole show and it was light-hearted humour. Fun to watch.

Now however, Gavin has gone and Stephanie Beecham is in his place with a bad northern hardass accent to boot. Thus ruining the sweet crush thing that Gavin and Julie had. Mark Addy’s character has been turned into a complete arse and Kieran, who got married at the end of the last series, is still mooning around after Katie which just doesn’t work at all. Superfluous and unentertaining characters have been added in like Neville (Dominic Coleville) the pathetic divorcee, who brings no humour whatsoever to this ‘comedy’.

But the worst thing they’ve done, is create a crude relationship between disgusting shop assistant Colin (Carl Rice) and equally unappealing cashier Lisa (Beverly Rudd, who don’t get me wrong is excellent!). Their relationship is awful, degrading, horrible to watch certainly not funny.

Mount Pleasantwas never as funny but it was enjoyable viewing. Dan (Daniel Ryan) and Lisa (Sally Lindsay) had a playful relationship that could seemingly withstand all external intervention; even from the unstoppable Kate (played superbly by Liza Tarbuck). Lisa’s parents were bonkers yet fun, her friends were engaging. Right up until her little dalliance with Jack (Owen McDonnell) it was pure fun.

Now however, the writers seem to have felt the need to give a gritty edge to the programme. The introduction of Kim (Claire Goose) has added a frankly crap edge to the storyline. Lisa isn’t the sort of person who would drop her existing friends for a new one, so doing that was bad enough but to then make Kim into a drug dealing mobster was neither funny nor thrilling. The whole scene at the airport was so lame that it felt a bit like watching poor amateur dramatics.

Do you agree or do you like the changes they’ve made to these programmes? I’d love to hear your view on it.